Super Bowl National Anthem 2014: Who is Renée Fleming?

In somewhat of a surprise move, the NFL announced that the veteran opera singer Renée Fleming will sing the national anthem at Super Bowl XLVIII, marking the first time a performer from the opera world with sing at the Super Bowl.

Known as something of the Celine Dion of lyric opera, Fleming has been dubbed "the people's diva" and is a four-time Grammy winner and the recipient of the National Medal of Arts. Along with her lyric soprano fame, Fleming also sings jazz, pop and indie rock — in French, German, Italian, Czech and Russian. Having performed at places like the Metropolitan Opera, Sydney Opera House, Ópera Bastille and Carnegie Hall, and at the Beijing Olympics, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and at the Diamond Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II, Fleming is no stranger to a big stage and will likely knock it out of the park.

Whatever the outcome, Fleming's beautiful voice will certainly be a breath of fresh air.